EXCLUSIVE Interview! Pankaj Tripathi on Fukrey 3: ‘I am the biggest example of cinema changing, fifteen years back…”

The script of Fukrey is much ahead of its time considering the first installment of the film was made ten years back. There was no boxing as hero and heroine, rather everybody had a very important role to play. Firstpost caught up with the brilliant craftsman of Indian cinema, Pankaj Tripathi where he discussed his role in  _Fukrey 3_ , how his character as Punditji evolved, his struggling days in the entertainment industry, cinema changing and more.  Edited excerpts from the interview:   Your journey in the entertainment industry has not been very smooth. Once you had mentioned that you wanted to become an actor, but you didn’t know how to become an actor? I am coming from a very rural background. I spent 25 years of my life in the village and 24 years in the cities like Delhi and Mumbai majorly and a few years in Patna. My experience is very unique which very few people have. I understand rural India as well as urban India. The day I realised I want to be an actor and learn acting, it took me 9 years to get admission in the National School of Drama. And again it took me eight years to get a break in the film industry. I still don’t have an answer as to how I kept my dreams alive. Whether I have work or not, I keep myself motivated through fitness. For me yoga and running are very important. I am not a gym person. Acting for me is a sync of brain and body. So, to keep myself alive as an actor some form of physical activity is very important. Cinema is changing at a very rapid speed with the digital platform coming in. It has given employment to many. What are your views on cinema changing? I am the biggest example of ‘cinema changing’. Fifteen years back there wouldn’t have been a Pankaj Tripathi doing lead roles. The OTT boom and the exposure that the digital platform has given to the audiences the exposure that probably no other platforms could have given.

I have heard that Fukrey didn’t have English lines in it. It was you who added it to the script. Please tell us on that… Initially  _Fukrey_ when it started its journey didn’t have English words or lines in it. It was added later and then it was followed in Fukrey 2 and 3. That’s how the tradition continued. It was in fact improvised by me in the character that I play as Punditji. The director liked it too and that’s how a few lines of English were used in my character.  Fukrey is hugely popular among the youth. Was it a conscious effort to keep that age group of audiences glued to the screen? It is a youth centric film and the popularity is huge among the young audiences. But the challenges were that no matter how serious the situation is, we will not exclude the humour element in Fukrey. So, a little bit of punch lines and jokes must come into this film, that was the whole intention. Because primarily it’s a socio-political comedy drama. It wasn’t very challenging for me, but definitely for the director and writer. I had a well written part and most importantly, our director Mrigdeep Singh Lamba gives us a lot of independence. How much do you actually prepare for your roles considering that all your roles in each and every film is very different? Fukrey Pundit didn’t require much preparation because we are already done with three instalments. No doubt the characters have evolved, but as a craftsman I do keep reading a lot on acting and craft basically because for me my craft matters. I love to read up on different books on cinema studies and appreciation and I am still in touch with my teachers who touch me about acting. I also read up on psychology and philosophy because for me both are interlinked.

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